


Ambitions

by icyfalls



Category: Haikyuu!!, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Pokemon - Freeform, Pokemon Fanfiction, Pokemon Journey, Pokemon!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 02:12:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8779078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyfalls/pseuds/icyfalls
Summary: [Pokemon!AU]
A heart to heart between an aspiring Pokemon Professor and the person he never wanted to leave behind





	

**Author's Note:**

> characters are in their early 20s

  
Bright crimson eyes stared at you as you stepped into the building. Moonlight shined through the tall windows and the soft shimmering glow surrounded your figure.

 

A soft purr came from the shadows and from that darkness, the creature with striking red eyes emerged.

 

“Umbreon,” you smiled when the Pokémon approached you, rubbing against your leg affectionately. “You’re going to scare someone off if you stare at them in the dark like that.”

 

It let out a sound of content and you sighed as it bounded ahead of you into the large reception room. _Just as mischievous as its trainer,_ you thought fondly, walking alongside Umbreon to one of the rooms at the back.

 

Bright light spilled into the hallways when you pulled the door open. The person inside was completely oblivious to your presence. Instead, Kuroo sat hunched over his desk, typing out what would probably be one hell of a report. His undivided attention as he focused on his work made you decide to leave him to it, but Umbreon seemed to have other plans. 

 

With a wag of its tail, Umbreon dashed towards its trainer and jumped onto his lap – almost sending him flying off his chair in the process.

 

“What the fu-“

 

“I hope you’re not using that kind of language in front of kids when they come and pick their starter Pokémon, Professor.”

 

“ _Assistant,”_ he emphasized. “I’m not a Pokémon Professor yet.”

 

Swirling his chair around to face you, you saw that he had bags under his eyes and he was visibly very tired. Yet, he grinned and picked his Umbreon up, playfully ruffling its fur atop its head. “You could have given me a heart attack, you know? My poor heart can’t take such things anymore.”

 

You laughed when Umbreon bumped its nose against his.

 

Pulling a chair over to sit beside him, you said lightly, “I think Umbreon just misses playing with you.”

 

“I know,” he muttered guiltily. “I haven’t got much extra time to spare now that the Professor is out doing fieldwork.”

 

“… Do you regret it?”

 

“… Regret… what?”

 

“Choosing to go into research…” Lifting your hand to stroke Umbreon, you carefully chose your words, afraid that you’d say something wrong.

 

“Even though you’re one of the youngest person to have graduated from Sinnoh University, you still have years of internship to complete before you can be a full-fledged Pokémon Professor. You’re not someone meant to stay indoors to do research and write papers, Tetsu…

 

“You were such a brilliant trainer before. We would travel the regions and had such amazing adventures. Exploring the world… battles… meeting new friends and Pokémon… Don’t you ever miss all that?”

 

Kuroo stayed silent for what felt like a long time.

 

“Maybe I should have continued being a trainer, huh.” He mumbled nostalgically before perking up. “If I had, I would probably be the champion by now! Those puny trainers would never stand a chance against me.”

 

You frowned at the façade he put up. “Tetsu…”

 

Before you could go any further, he shot you a smile – one you knew too well – and held out his hand to you. 

 

“My body is all stiff from sitting here. Shall we go outside for a walk?”

 

Umbreon jumped off his lap as Kuroo stood up. A look of resignation washed over your features and you reluctantly complied, placing your hand in his.

 

Once again, you were swept into his pace; like how you always have been for all those years you spent together.

 

 

~~

 

 

He led you out back into the large area behind the lab where the Pokémon lived. Though you visited the sanctuary numerous times before, it was the first time you were there at night. And with the place devoid of Pokémon since most of them were asleep at that late hour, it looked peaceful and quiet; unlike how it usually was in the day, where all the Pokémon would be out and about.

 

Walking alongside Kuroo like this felt so familiar – so achingly familiar – but yet, it felt like a mere memory of a distant past.

 

It was.

 

Ever since he decided to study Pokémon, you were left with little choice but to continue on the journey yourself. You still made plenty of friends and travelled with a couple of trusted companions, of course, but none of them could ever hold a candle to Kuroo. He was the one who was there for you from the start. You were _both_ there for each other, every step along the way. From battles to contests; from region to region, you were always together for each and every milestone in life.

 

When he made up his mind, a small part of your heart stayed with him.

 

He was much taller now, you noticed. His once boyish features had grown much more defined from when he began pursuing his ambitions. A strand of his long, black hair fell into his face and he tried to blow it out of the way.

 

“With hair as unruly as yours, you should know better than to let it grow out that long,” you giggled as you reached up to push it back into the black vortex known as Kuroo’s hair.

 

He bent down slightly, allowing you to comb your fingers through his soft locks. “Yeah, but you know that I hate it when people mess up my haircut. You’re the only one who knows how to properly cut my hair.”

 

You faltered in your movements; your hands falling to your side as a shaky laugh left your lips. “I guess I’ll have to do it for you soon then.”

 

“… [Name],” Kuroo called out when you hastily started walking ahead. It only took him a few strides for him to reach you, once again encasing his hand around yours.

 

“This way… there’s a place I want to show you.”

 

 

~~

 

 

“Wow.”

 

“The view is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” He grinned. “It’s not much – nothing compared to what we used to see on our journeys – but it’s still amazing nonetheless.”

 

He was right. Before you, was a large pond, nestled within the depths of the forest. The crescent moon was reflected onto the tranquil darkness, forming a glistening mirror image of the entire horizon.

 

“Umbreon was the one who found this place.” He chuckled, “One night, while I was getting some work done, he just barrelled into me and kept pulling on my shirt. I knew he wanted to take me somewhere so I followed him all the way out here. And I’ve been coming here whenever I need a break from work ever since.”

 

True to its namesake, the moonlight Pokémon was seated atop a large boulder; unmoving as it stared solemnly at the moon.

 

“He still does that?” You mused.

 

“Yeah,” Kuroo groaned. “When the moon is full, he’d sit there for _hours_.”

 

You both shared a knowing look before slipping into silence.

 

As you stared out into the night, many thoughts went through your head. Though you hated to admit it, the only person on your mind… was the person sitting next to you.

 

 “I miss it all, you know?”

 

You turned to the sound of his voice, only to find him already looking at you; his face illuminated by the shine of moonlight.

 

“… What?” You managed a whisper, entranced by his ethereal appearance.

 

“Regarding what you said earlier,” he said thoughtfully. “I miss all of that. All those years I spent with you as a trainer was the happiest and most enjoyable time of my life. I can’t deny that there have been many occasions where I doubted myself and all the choices that I’ve made… But ultimately, I don’t regret my decision.”

 

“… That’s good,” a half hearted smile reaching your lips; you hugged your knees to your chest and lowered your gaze to the pond once again.

 

Honestly… what did you expect? For him to drop all the years of hard work he put into studying to travel with you again? Deep down, although that was what you truly wanted, you knew that things had changed and it would never be the same as how it used to be.

 

“Do you remember when Umbreon evolved?”

 

“Yeah,” you nodded fondly at the memory.

 

“That was the moment I began contemplating going into research. We got our Eevees together, but they both evolved into different Pokémon. I remember the awe on your face when you saw my Eevee evolve beneath the moonlight. You said ‘that’s so amazing’ with the widest smile on your face, and I realized that it was indeed, remarkable how Pokémon physiology and evolution works.”

 

You rested your head upon folded arms to look at him. “Is that the area you plan to specialize in? Evolution?”

 

“I still have a few years left to go so I’m not completely certain, but I do have a good inkling of what I want to do.” Tilting his head to one side, he asked, “What do _you_ think I should specialize in?”

 

“Why are you asking _me?_ ” You chuckled. “This is a decision you need to make yourself.”

 

“Figured you’d say something like that…

 

“You know what my ultimate goal is?” He spoke quietly.

 

“What is it?”

 

“After I properly become a Pokemon Professor, I want to do field work and study Pokémon all around the world.”

 

Confused, you questioned, “Then why be a Professor when you could be a Researcher? You would have saved a few years of studying.”

 

“I want to work independently without being bound to any organizations like how researchers have to. That way, once I’m a certified Professor, I can finally travel with you again while doing research on the side.”

 

His words echoed in your mind and you stared owlishly at him.

 

Kuroo chuckled and tentatively reached out to touch your cheek. “You didn’t think I’m _okay_ with being apart from you for so long, did you? Of all the things I miss from the old days, I miss _you_ the most. It’s _agonizing_ to not be able to see you everyday…

 

“Every time you come and see me, I just want to hold you in my arms and beg you to stay.” A tight smile reached his lips. “But I can’t let myself be that selfish. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

 

“I won’t lie,” you admitted. “Often when we’re apart, and whenever I see you, I want to get you to come back to me. But whenever I see you working so hard, I just can’t do it.

 

“But I miss you so much, Tetsurou.”

 

The moment his name left your lips, he surprised you with a kiss.

 

“Let me be selfish this one time,” he murmured before pressing his lips against yours again.

 

This time, you shifted so that you were closer to him.

 

“You can be as selfish as you want.”

 

The most adorable of blushes coated his cheeks and you couldn’t help but laugh, just as he was leaning into you.

 

“Don’t laugh at me…” Kuroo grumbled, tugging you to his chest so that you couldn’t see his face.

 

Your giggles died down in your throat and when it did, you sighed in contentment, taking in his familiar scent.

 

“There’s more,” his chest rumbled as he spoke.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I chose this path because I know that if I work hard enough, even as an independent researcher, I will be able to earn enough for us to live out our lives comfortably. I’ve been saving all the money I’ve won as a trainer, so I’ll probably have enough to get a small lab in the future and we can live there and just chill while letting kids pick their starters and literally laze around all day with our own children and-“

 

“Woah there,” you laughed, pulling back to look at him. “For a scientist, you sure made a lot of baseless assumptions in your rambling there. Who said anything about marriage; much less having kids with _you_?”

 

“If you’re not going to have kids with me, who else are you going to have kids with?” He deadpanned. “You’ll be left on the shelf.”

 

“Are you insinuating that no one will want me? I’ll have you know that many guys have told me–”

 

Cutting you off with a peck on the lips, he sighed. “Don’t say any more… I am well aware that I have competition, and it worries me that I can’t be there to chase them off. That’s not what I meant at all. If there _wasn’t_ anyone else interested in you, I should probably specialize in humans’ perception of beauty and perfection instead.

 

“What I meant was… You would never consider a man who can’t hold his own in a battle against you. And not many people would be able to consistently beat you… other than me. So that leaves me as your only possible choice.”

 

“Wrong. One, you’ve been out of the game for years. I’ll definitely win in a battle against you now. Two, this isn’t natural selection. Even if I choose to marry you in the future… it’ll be because you’re _you,_ and not because you’re the best choice I’ve got.”

 

“I’d challenge you to a battle, but I don’t want to spoil the moment.”

 

“Good choice,” you sang, leaning onto his shoulder. “You’d lose.”

 

“Even if I lost, I would have done it on purpose because I wouldn’t want to deal with you sulking if I won.”

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

“Definitely.” Though you couldn’t see his face, you could picture the smirk on his lips at that instant. “Hey Umbreon!”

 

The Pokemon glanced at Kuroo for a second before shaking its head and continued soaking in the moonlight.

 

“Professor, I think you just got dissed by your own Pokemon.”

 

“Shut up…”

 

 

~~

 

 

After spending a few days with Kuroo, you decided that it was finally time to continue on your journey to a new region. You hated to be apart from him again but it was for the best. If he was going to become a Pokémon Professor. Until you decided where your future path lay, you were going to do your best to be an accomplished trainer, worthy of being by his side.

 

 “Don’t go…” Kuroo said as he hesitantly followed you out of the lab.

 

“If I don’t leave now, I’ll never find it in me to leave.”

 

“That’s the best possible outcome, if you asked me.”

 

“Tetsu… I thought you said you won’t be selfish and ask me to stay.”

 

“I asked you not to leave. I didn’t ask you to stay.” He said smartly. “Besides, you said I could be as selfish as I wanted.”

 

“I hate when you’re so technical with me.” You pouted.

 

Kuroo grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to your lips. “I love you too…

 

“… Stay safe and call me whenever you can.”

 

“Mm I will.” Turning to the Pokémon by his side, you bent down to hug it, “Look after him for me, Umbreon.”

 

“Who’s the one looking after who?”

 

You ignored him as the pokemon nuzzled against you. “If he slacks off or does something bad, hit him with some Assurance for me, okay?”

 

Umbreon let out a cheerful cry and Kuroo narrowed his eyes at you incredulously. “Did you just ask my Pokémon to use an attack on me?”

 

“What better motivation than a pat on your back from your beloved Pokémon?” you smiled sweetly at him.

 

“I can think of loads…”

 

Sighing heavily, Kuroo pulled you into a hug.

 

“… Wait for me, okay?”

 

There was no need for further elaboration.

 

Even if he didn’t ask, you were going to do so anyways.

 

“Of course,” you whispered, taking in his presence for the last time before you left,

 

_“I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes.”_

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading my first pokemon!AU (:
> 
> comments and feedback are very much appreciated! let me know what you think!


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